Anthony Edwards, star guard for the Minnesota Timberwolves, made a statement that will likely rub Knicks fans the wrong way.

The sentiment is not new, even if the speaker is. New York has long been a media market with a reputation for being tough on its players. Historically, with multiple newspapers and television outlets that cover its teams, critical analysis is expected.

Such is the case for the modern media landscape filled with podcasts, blogs, and content creators all vying for fans’ attention. This dynamic, it could be argued, was most at play in 2019 when Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving chose the Nets over the Knicks in a move many viewed as “ducking the smoke” that comes with New York City.

The question that then arises is one of finding the reality. Edwards and others have suggested that Knicks fans and media are too critical of their players, while some will insist that a player who feels this way is soft and “not built for the pressure.” These differing views leave us to wonder: are Knicks fans too harsh on their team? Does this create long-term team-building challenges?

The Pressure of New York

New York is the largest media market in the United States, and one of the truly global cities in the world. As a result, several professional sports teams play in the city, all vying for a slice of the proverbial fan attention pie. In the state of New York, there are three NFL franchises, two NBA franchises, three NHL teams, and two MLB teams.

The city is also rooted in history in all those sports. The Knicks, Rangers, Giants, and Yankees are all original members of their respective leagues, with histories dating back to the early 20^th century. That history has created a culture of winning that morphed into lofty expectations for the modern iterations of the teams.

It is why a World Series appearance isn’t good enough for Yankee fans, for instance. Because of the storied past of these teams and the sheer size of the New York market, there are expectations of winning as the only option.

This is different than other smaller markets across the country that might just be happy to have a successful team. Because the likelihood of a team leaving New York for a new city is incredibly unlikely, the need for incremental playoff game revenue is not the north star that it is to other markets like Milwaukee or Oklahoma City.

Consider the rhetoric surrounding the Knicks when they won the 1985 Draft Lottery and selected Patrick Ewing. Ewing was dubbed “the savior of basketball in New York City,” the player who would resurrect this franchise from the doldrums. But the reality is that the Knicks had a couple of relatively successful seasons up until that point with playoff appearances.

The team was also just a decade removed from their last title in 1973. But because the expectation is ‘championships or nothing,’ the pressure placed upon Ewing was immense, as they were for Carmelo Anthony and Jalen Brunson in the decades that followed.

This pressure is compounded by the sheer number of reporters and columnists that cover the Knicks. Where other markets might have one or two big-name local media outlets, the Knicks have five or six. There is always a need for a quote or a scoop to outshine the competition.

The mixture of all these factors and the Knicks’ 51-year title drought have made the pressure of donning orange and blue incredibly high. Fans have embraced this pressure and made it a part of their identity, for better or worse.

The Perception of Knicks Fans

The line between a passionate fan and a delusional one is razor-thin. An argument can even be made that it does not exist. The critique of Knicks fans has always been that they assume the next star waiting to be traded will land in New York. But why do they feel this way?

Typically, when a player wants to be traded, the main reason is winning. But almost as frequently, players cite market as a reason to want to leave their current team. It is why New York, Miami, and Los Angeles are frequently mentioned as dream destinations for unhappy players. Knicks fans, as a result, feel that any time a player wants out, they are in the running for said player.

We have seen this start to happen already this season, as rumors of a potential trade request by Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo heat up with each game Milwaukee loses. It is worth wondering, however, if this is the delusion of Knicks fans or a manifestation of talking about a popular team to drum up interest in a subject.

Every league has a team that simply draws headlines. In American football, it’s the Dallas Cowboys. In baseball, it’s the New York Yankees. In the NBA, both the Knicks and Lakers arise in conversations generated by larger media outlets to maximize ratings. With this attention comes a downstream expectation by fans that their team should be involved in every discussion.

Knicks fans on social media often contemplate who the next star will be. Who is the next trade? How many draft picks will it take to get them? This path makes it tougher on Knicks players, and maybe even for future players the team wants to target.

Patrick Ewing once said about the fans:

Julius Randle, who was recently traded to Minnesota, also had a negative moment with the fans: the now-infamous thumbs-down gesture. These types of actions cause fans to say that some players are not “built” for New York.

It seems that it is all a cycle. Knicks fans want to bring a title to the city again so badly. This desire, coupled with national media attention, morphs into the idea that fans are unrealistic, toxic, and generally annoying.

Over the years, we’ve seen this perception manifest into a reality of rushed decisions and head-scratching acquisitions. Thankfully, this current front office seems to have a plan, staving off the monster of skepticism from fans who will not remain quiet if their need for success is not met.

Knick fans may not like it, but there was a sliver of truth in Anthony Edwards’ comments. Not every player is a good fit for New York. It’s a hard place to play, and a harder place to win. But this current group seems to relish that pressure, to be the first team in half a century to finally get to the mountaintop.

Read More of our Articles